


Stealing Cinderella

by AngelQueen



Series: With Bated Breath [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 16:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelQueen/pseuds/AngelQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur seeks Balinor's blessing for his upcoming marriage to Merlin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stealing Cinderella

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel to _With Bated Breath_.
> 
> Title comes from the song _Stealing Cinderella_ , by Chuck Wicks. The story is also based loosely on the lyrics.

The golden lights of the Christmas tree bathed the living room a warm, golden hue, adding to its already content and happy atmosphere. There was holly and tinsel draped over the fireplace mantle as well as some framing the doorway, and there was also a little Christmas village display on top of the small set of shelves. All and all, very festive.

Arthur’s gaze swept the room again. He could imagine all of the Christmases Merlin must have celebrated here, both with just her parents and also with her extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. It didn’t take much imagination to picture Merlin as a little girl running into the room on Christmas morning, her thin face bright with excitement, or to see her showing off her gifts to her cousins when they came to visit.

Just like any other family.

Arthur’s Christmases as a child had been pleasant, his father and nannies had seen to that. In fact, Christmas had been one of the few times he and his father had been able to spend some uninterrupted time together. His father would make his customary speech to the people in the morning, but then the rest of the day was reserved for just the two of them. It was for that reason alone that Christmas Day had been Arthur’s favorite day as a boy, never mind the presents he received. Those days with his father had been the most anticipated event of the year for him, along with his birthday which was another day they always tried to spend together.

For all that, however, Arthur could look back and realize that there still had been something missing, or rather, _someone_. His mother had not lived to spend those Christmases with them, to ensure that they had a family Christmas that families like Merlin’s did. It made him sad, to know what he and his mother had both missed out on.

Arthur’s eyes landed on the shelves along the wall, which were filled with pictures and he instinctively moved closer. He smiled as he gazed at them. He’d seen them before, of course, on previous visits, and Merlin had explained each and every one of them to him. There was the picture of her when she had been just days old, a squirming infant with a thin cap of dark hair. Then there was the one of her looking about five years old, riding a little pink bicycle with her father sprinting along beside her, his hand on the back of the seat to keep her from falling. There was also one of Merlin and her best friend, Will, taken when they looked to be about sixteen. Merlin had said that had been them going out on their first date. He remembered the sadness in her eyes and knew she had been thinking of how she had lost will not two years later, when Will had died in a car accident.

The pictures, different as they were, all sent the same message: Merlin had been the center of life in this house.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted Arthur’s thoughts and he looked up towards the doorway. Balinor Emrys stood there, watching him with his customary serious expression. In the past, Arthur had admitted, if only to himself, that Merlin’s father was a little intimidating. Whereas Hunith Emrys was a warm, friendly woman, her husband was solemn, even formal. The older man had never seemed to warm to Arthur in the years he and Merlin had known each other, though he’d never been unfriendly or even hostile. They just never interacted much beyond basic pleasantries.

Laughter and the sound of clattering dishes suddenly invaded the room, coming from the kitchen. Merlin must have been with her mother, helping clear away the clutter left by supper. Arthur had offered to assist, as he always did when he had a meal with the Emrys’, but Hunith had just smiled and shooed him out, assuring him that she and Merlin would take care of it. It was just as well, Arthur thought, since this gave him the opportunity to talk to Merlin’s father.

“I wanted to speak to you, sir,” he said, praying he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. It was rather silly, really. He was the Crown Prince of Albion, and he was nervous about talking to his fiancée’s father! If Morgana could see him, she’d no doubt find the whole situation hilarious.

Balinor nodded. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

Arthur took a deep breath, trying not to wince at the other man’s formal address. It was now or never. “I would like to ask your permission to marry your daughter.” There, he’d said it.

The older man stared at him, his blue eyes sharp and missing nothing. His bearded face did not even twitch. Several moments passed, and it was all Arthur could do not to squirm. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d been brought before his father for slipping away from his security detail for the first time.

“I have seen the ring on Merlin’s hand,” Balinor finally replied. “You already have her consent. There isn’t any need to ask me.”

Arthur shook his head. “She’s agreed, yes,” he allowed, “but I know that your approval means the world to her. I suppose I am really asking if she and I have your… blessing.”

“Ah,” was all Balinor said in reply. Slowly, the moved further into the room, coming to stand next to him. Arthur watched as Balinor gazed long and hard at the display of pictures.

“When Merlin met you,” he suddenly said, “she didn’t tell us about who you were when she called us every week from the university dorms. Oh, she would talk about her friend Arthur and the other people she was meeting, but never once did she mention your title. It wasn’t until just before she brought you home that she told us, and that was just to warn us of the entourage that would be accompanying you, bodyguards and the like.”

Arthur’s eyebrows went up. Hunith and Balinor hadn’t known from the beginning? He’d always been under the impression that Merlin told her parents everything. He remembered when they first met. There hadn’t been any hint of surprise. Hunith had been kind and welcoming, inviting him into her home and even offering his bodyguards tea or coffee in the kitchen. Balinor had been quiet and solemn, but Arthur had later seen that that seemed to be his default manner.

“I watched how she interacted with you, how she talked about you. It always seemed like she was looking after you, protecting you,” Balinor continued, unaware of his racing thoughts. The older man shook his head. “She never would tell me how she dealt with that one girlfriend you had, the one who was going to give the press a tell-all interview about you.” A shadow crossed his face. “She was so secretive, and that was a hard thing for Hunith and I to handle. Merlin had never kept secrets from us.”

Arthur didn’t know what to say, though he did feel a little guilty about it. He’d always guarded his privacy zealously, and those closest to him knew that. Anyone who tried to violate that was unceremoniously dropped from his acquaintance, much as Sophia Tiamore had been. Still, he hadn’t meant for it to go so far that it disrupted his friends’ relationships with their families.

“Merlin used to complain about you at times, about your arrogance and your conceit,” Balinor went on. “I admit, I hoped that it was a sign that she might be growing away from you. Then she would come back and be the same person she’d always been, my daughter who would never dream of hiding things from me.”

 _But she didn’t,_ Arthur thought, and that was something he was forever grateful for. The idea of not having Merlin in his life made his blood run cold.

“It wasn’t until your graduation ceremonies that I understood,” the other man said. “I could have cared less that the king was attending; I only wanted to watch my girl accept her diploma. So I did, and I saw it. She would smile occasionally in my and her mother’s direction, but inevitably, her eyes turned in your direction. She would look and find you, and she would just light up. I’d never seen her look like that. And that’s when I knew that Merlin was in love with you.”

Arthur could hardly keep himself from gaping. As far back as then? He and Merlin had still been strictly friends at that time, albeit best friends. He’d never had any inkling that her feelings had gone beyond that.

“That revelation wasn’t exactly a welcome one,” Balinor admitted. “I knew there were only two outcomes for her feelings. Either you’d never return them and she’d eventually move on, finding someone else to love but who would always be second best in her heart, or you’d finally come to see her for the treasure she was and love her too. I wasn’t sure which option was worse. The first would be tragic, yes, but the second would come with so much more than two people loving each other.” He looked at Arthur. “You come with so much, the expectations of an entire _country_ , for God’s sake. And if she joined you, those expectations would fall on Merlin too. Something like that could crush a person.”

“And you think it will crush her,” Arthur whispered.

The older man paused for several seconds, considering it. Finally, he shook his head. “Not as long as the two of you hold to each other. My daughter loves you, and I don’t doubt that you love her, but your marriage is going to be scrutinized by all of Albion, by all of the _world_. Remember this if nothing else: whatever your father or the press or anyone else says, Merlin is your first priority, and you will be hers. Don’t let the beliefs and expectations of others cloud that and…” he trailed off, but then continued, “you will have my blessing.”

Arthur could have slumped with relief. “Thank you, sir,” he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “Thank you.”

Much to Arthur’s surprise, Balinor smiled at him. It was faint, but there. It was also the first time Arthur could ever really recall Balinor smiling in his direction.

He watched as the older man stepped away from the pictures and moved toward the doorway. Leaning out, he called, “Merlin? Come here, please.”

A moment passed, and then Arthur heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Then Merlin appeared in the doorway. Her eyes met his and she beamed at him happily before turning to her father. “Yes, Papa?”

Balinor’s expression grew remarkably gentle as he stared down at his only child. He gazed at her, an unidentifiable look crossing his features, one that made Arthur wonder if he would look at a daughter of his own like that one day. Finally, the older man nodded toward Arthur. “I suppose if I’m go give you up to anyone, it might as well be him.”

Merlin’s face lit up happily. With an excited squeal, she threw her arms around her father’s neck, hugging him tightly. Balinor’s own smile was a quiet one, but he hugged his daughter just as tightly. They held onto one another for several seconds, until finally he released her. “Go on now,” he murmured.

She needed no further encouragement and strode over to Arthur and embraced him too. “Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. “I can’t say how much this means to me.”

Arthur closed his eyes, inhaling the honey scent of her hair as he clasped her to him. “You’re welcome, Merlin.”

* * *

 _“In our continuing coverage in the lead up to the royal wedding, Prince Arthur and Merlin Emrys have been quite busy over the holidays. The couple spent Christmas in Camelot with the King, but then traveled north to Ealdor, spending a few days with Merlin’s parents, Balinor and Hunith Emrys. In previous interviews, the prince has made clear of his great respect and affection for the Emrys’, saying that his visits at their home have always been wonderful. In a recent interview, the prince even jokingly said that Balinor Emrys always made sure that Arthur knew to keep his hands to himself in regards to his daughter…”_


End file.
